


Dirty Little Secret

by tasteoftheforbidden



Category: Naruto
Genre: Awkward Romance, Banter, Cockblocking, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Humor, Jealousy, Lee is the biggest cockblocker, Neji is clueless, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Tenten is frustrated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:35:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25362484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tasteoftheforbidden/pseuds/tasteoftheforbidden
Summary: As far as Neji was concerned, they were friends. Teammates. Platonic at best. So when he picks up a particular piece of literature written in Tenten's hand, he is shocked speechless."I couldn't stop myself from wondering how it would feel to have his body on mine, and his fingers doing something else entirely."Neji swallowed. Did he just read what he thought he read?
Relationships: Hyuuga Neji/Tenten
Comments: 13
Kudos: 191





	1. Chapter 1

Neji sighed for the umpteenth time as he sat unmoving on the only portion of the couch that wasn't littered with junk. His eyes shifted to the pile of haphazardly sorted books and files on the coffee table. Several pages were nearly falling off their spines, while others had blotch marks and stains whose nature and cause he wouldn’t dare to identify.

The sofa he sat on looked like a gigantic glorified pin cushion, littered with scraps of paper, tags, and weapons of all kinds sticking out from random places. His gaze dropped to the floor, noting how the only real free space was the area he had cleared for his feet. He clicked his tongue. He could barely even make out the four corners of the living room with the amount of drawn diagrams, scrolls, torn pages and scribbles. What self-respecting adult would use the walls as a substitute for parchment?

Neji's observation was cut short when a piece of shuriken fell onto the pile of books on the table, bouncing off onto the floor, before lazily rolling under the sofa. Neji eyed the ceiling, pursing his lips at the sight of at least a hundred weapons embedded on the chipping plaster.

Neji couldn't understand how Tenten could be organized in everything other than her research. Her kitchen was spotless and systematized for efficiency. Her bathroom was flawless no matter how many random times he'd use it; and her bedroom was neat, orderly, and always smelled of lavender and chamomile.

He could not fathom how her living room, which basically served as her study, never failed to look like a storm had just passed through. Once he had offered to help her sort things out, no longer able to stand the mess. He moved to grab a book when a senbon needle nearly hit his hand before impaling itself about an inch deep into the floor. Apparently Tenten was the disorganized organized type when it came to studying. He never made any comment on her living room ever since.

Of course he was welcome to wait in her bedroom. He always was. Yet he found it inappropriate being in the premises of such a private space without Tenten in the vicinity. He glanced at his watch. He'd been waiting for about 15 minutes now. He didn’t know why she asked him to meet her here last minute, but she was rarely ever late. He hated waiting, and it seemed the longer he stayed in Tenten's chaotic living room, the greater the compulsion to tidy up gnawed at him.

Standing up, he made his way to her bedroom. The kitchen would have been fine, but it still showed him a clear view of the living room. He wanted the offending area out of his sight. Opening the door slowly, Neji felt a twinge of guilt as he invaded her personal space. He shrugged it off by thinking he would have allowed Tenten the same courtesy as well. It was a matter of trust and he knew they both trusted each other with their lives. After all, there was nothing to hide, nothing to be ashamed of.

Neji wanted to roll his eyes at the unevenly rolled blanket chucked off to one side of the mattress. He moved to gingerly pull it up and straighten it out, when the sound of something falling to the floor with a loud thud caught his attention. He craned his neck to where he guessed the item was. A brown leather notebook lay on the floor; its tiny steel deadbolt dangling on one side undone. The fall seemed to have unlocked the strip of metal.

Neji neatly folded the blanket with ease, placing it strategically at the foot of the bed, before bending over to pick up the book. It had no title on it but it looked fairly new. It must have been a favorite of Tenten's if she kept it at her bedside with a lock.

Plucking the unfastened metal off the hook, Neji took a seat on the bed, careful not to get the sheets ruffled. He flipped through it offhandedly, hoping to get a gist of its contents. He could make out some of her writings in the first few pages, but the rest were empty.

Neji eyed the blank covers of the book once again, before heading back to the first page. It must be something new she’s investigating. He scanned it with poorly veiled curiosity. Just what was Tenten working on that required such secrecy?

_There was a storm today. But that didn't stop our training routine. After all, no natural calamity had ever been capable of changing that part of our schedule. What was a little bit of rain going to do?_

Neji's eyes widened a fraction when he realized just what he was reading. It wasn't her research he had in his hands, it was a diary of some sort. Definitely something he had no business reading whatsoever. He moved to close it quickly, but paused when he saw his name.

_Neji was relentless, yet again. That much wasn't new. But the way the rain turned his white Hyuga garments translucent made it all the more difficult for me to focus. I couldn't stop myself from wondering how it would feel to have his body on mine, and his fingers doing something else entirely._

Neji swallowed. Did he just read what he thought he read? He blinked. Once. Twice. That was the end of the first entry. His hand hovered over the page before he stopped himself. It was a battle of shame and curiosity. Would he dare?

Neji felt his body temperature rise. He had to hand it to her. She never showed him any indication of interest at all. Everything between them had always seemed platonic. Sure they've had their fill of being teased, and he’s lost count of all the compromising positions they’ve landed on during training. But there was never anything there. They were only ever just friends.

Before Neji knew it, his hand betrayed him and moved the page onto the second entry. It seemed his curiosity overwhelmed his shame.

_We're finally back after a three-day mission in Suna. I don't know how any of the people stand it, but the temperature of that place is unbearable. I can't imagine how anyone could actually live that way._

Neji remembered that mission clearly. It happened three months ago. They were both assigned to deliver a scroll to the Kazekage himself, and the mission had been ranked S level. Whatever was in that scroll was definitely enough to warrant that big of a paycheck.

They arrived without fail in less than a day, just as the sun began to set. They forwent any form of rest, which, as luck would have it, had been a good decision. A vicious sandstorm enveloped the dessert within an hour of their arrival. Its rage lasted for the next two nights, forcing them to postpone their return to Konoha.

_It was torture enough that the temperature alone could boil an egg, but I just had to be stuck in a room with Neji for two nights because of a sandstorm. Thank God I had the heat to blame because my cheeks would not stop burning as he stripped off one article of clothing after another._

Neji paused in confusion. He remembered that too. They were both too hot so they opted to don minimal clothing – him in his boxers, and her in her bra top and boy shorts. But he never felt the indication that it made her feel uncomfortable. She just ranted about the heat relentlessly.

_I don't know what kind of deity was after my head, but those two nights were the pinnacle of my self-control – the very epitome of restraint. It was hard enough that he was only in his boxers, but to watch beads of sweat drip from his forehead, sliding down his throat before dipping into the hollow of junction of his neck, tilting over the expanse between his collar bones, then travelling painfully slow down his chest, the ripples of his abs and onto his waist band… I never thought it was possible to want to fuck and kill someone at the same time._

The writing of the passage looked more jumbled as it went on. Neji didn't realize that his jaw had dropped at the highly graphic way his longtime teammate described a drop of perspiration. He felt his cheeks color slightly. He never knew she was capable of looking at him in that way.

_On our first day alone nearly half naked, I thought I wouldn't last. It literally took every ounce of control to not grab his hair and kiss him senseless. Needless to say, the nights were harder. We shared a bed, like we always did on missions. But it never involved limited clothing, high amounts of temperature, and my raging hormones. Who would have thought I would finally experience what the rest of the girls had been talking about? And at 19 at that. I had to make excuses to go the bathroom to wash off the heat, but no amount of bathing would rid me of the itch. Each time I had my fingers in my pussy, moaning Neji's name, trying to muffle the sounds I made with my hand and the rushing water._

Neji froze. His eyes reached the end of the page. She had made a few weird noises in the bathroom, but he always brushed them off as her complaints over the scorching weather.

Neji felt another wave of heat course through his body. He felt dirty and ashamed for reading Tenten's most inner thoughts, but at the same time, he was incredibly aroused. He was yet again at an impasse. Would he read on? Would his conscience really let him? Before he could rationalize things further, his hand flipped onto the next page. Traitor! It seemed his curiosity won this round yet again.

_The second day had been worse. The lights went out and they had given us rose scented candles, apologizing that all the regular ones had been used up. ROSE. FUCKING. SCENTED. They gave the room a warm pink glow! The universe was conspiring against me I just knew it!_

Neji couldn't help but chuckle at the apparent exasperation seeping through the paragraph. He never told Tenten, but just before they left, Temari quietly asked him if they enjoyed the king sized bed and the scented candles. The telling look she gave him said it all. The romantic atmosphere was a set up. They could have easily arranged for two separate bedrooms. He didn't give the Sunagakure kunoichi the satisfaction of a response.

_It was getting too much. I was so close to sleeping in the bathroom floor if it meant my senses could have some reprieve from Neji. But I knew he wouldn't have it. So I stayed as quiet as I could that day, kept my eyes closed and pretended to meditate to fight off the heat. But with my eyes closed, I could feel every shift he made on the mattress – every turn, every single movement of his sinful body. Then just like always, my thoughts would drift to the feel of his lips. Are they as soft as they look? I imagine he'd use his tongue to coax mine out to play. I would feel the weight of his body crushing me onto the bed, his lustful fingers finding the entrance to my dripping wet core. He'd start with one. Slowly. Then add another one. Still torturously slow. Then he'd thrust a third one forcefully, making me scream in ecstasy. Again. And again. And… Again._

Neji slammed the book close as he felt his member stand into full attention. Never before had he been so aroused by a written material ever in his life. As he read on, gone was the shame. All that was left was an endless curiosity and a lust he never knew he was capable of feeling towards his teammate. He gritted his teeth, willing it to go away but it wouldn't.

It was too late now. The images that flooded his mind, thanks to Tenten's creative use of words, would haunt him for a long time. Closing his eyes, he opened the book once again, choosing to ignore the throbbing problem between his legs.

_But just as I'm about to come, he draws back, then looks at me with those piercing eyes chuckling. "So wet. So easy to please." I'd whimper. "Please Neji." I'd beg. He'd chuckle once more in that deep baritone voice of his that never fails to get me wet and wanting. "Please what?" He'd tease. I'd whimper yet again. "Please take me." I'd feel his manhood at my entrance and I let out a moan as I try to fill myself up. He catches my hip and stills me. "What do you want?" He'd whisper in my ear, and I'd feel my arousal drip onto my thighs. "Neji." I'd moan. I was at my limit. "Tell me how you want it." He repeated in that demanding tone of his. "Make me come screaming." I somehow manage to whisper. In an instant, he fills me up and I come undone._

Neji stared at the end of the second passage not sure exactly what to feel. He was painfully hard by now, nearly impossible for him to ignore. He gritted his teeth hating the way Tenten's words were affecting him. If he were to be completely honest, he'd say that he did find her attractive. Being teammates with her for such a long time, he knew exactly how much she had grown into a woman.

Once when they were 15, he lent her a shirt during training because she had fallen into the lake and had no extra clothes to spare. That was the first time it visually registered to him that she had gone through puberty. Her baggy clothes were successful in hiding her figure; but when all she had on was his thin black shirt stretching tightly on her chest, barely reaching her midthigh, he was rendered speechless. It was a good thing he had to leave for her apartment to get her something else to change into.

Neji closed his eyes as he massaged his temples. Just what in the hell was he thinking? Scratch that. What the fuck was he _doing_? Reading his teammates journal and getting a raging hard on, while sitting on her bed. Just how perverse could he get?

Scanning the rest of the book, he was glad to note that there was just one more entry left. Yet again he was torn. He knew he really should stop. He was invading her privacy in so many ways. If it had been the other way around, he knew he would be beyond mortified. But once again, his hand had a mind of its own, turning onto the last passage before he could even finish his train of thought.

_If there really was a god, I'm sure she or he or it really hates me. That, or perhaps god has a sick sense of humor. I was out on mission just the other day with Neji, as usual. We get paired up a lot during reconnaissance missions because it's easy for us to act as couple, making us smoothly blend in. This wasn't the first time we've used that kind of cover, but it was definitely the first time we got snowed in during the middle of winter. And it was also the first time I got delirious because of a fever._

Neji paused. This particular mission ended just three weeks ago. It was at a mountainous province several thousand feet above sea level, covered in ice and snow. They were trapped for a full four days because of a blizzard. They were lucky to have enough rations to last them a week, but the chill of area’s perpetual winter was nearly impossible to fight off. They were able to keep a fire going but their wood stock kept getting riddled with frost. The first day was fairly easy, but when night came, Tenten fell ill. They had no supply of medicine. All Neji could do was repeatedly heat up a bowl of chicken soup and hope she got better. It was one of the few moments in his life that he felt so useless.

_I could hear Neji repeatedly telling me that my body temperature kept rising, but all I could feel was a chilling numbness. My insides were shaking, my teeth were rattling, and I was beginning to spout random nonsense. My mind was spinning. It felt as if I was flying. Or was it falling? I couldn't really tell anymore. I don't even remember what happened from the point wherein I was sure I was going to die, to waking up without any article of clothing in the arms of an equally naked Neji Hyuga._

Neji felt his face burn at the memory. Her temperature was spiraling out of control and she would freeze if he did nothing. It was survival 101 – body heat. He remembered gathering all the clothing, cushions and sheets that they had to spare, creating a cocoon of warmth by the fire with Tenten in the middle.

Blindfolding himself, he began stripping the clothes off his freezing teammate, before tucking her under the mountain of fabrics. Ripping the scrap of fabric away from his eyes, he hurriedly took off his clothes. Gritting his teeth at the sudden invasion of the cold, he rushed to put his warm garments over her body before enveloping her further with everything he could get his hands on.

Crawling under the covers, he wrapped his limbs around her, pressing his body flush against her own. He clenched his jaw at the feel of her ice-cold skin. Closing his eyes, he focused on emanating his chakra in gentle waves of warmth, hoping it would be enough to get her to stop shivering. He thanked the heavens silently when her teeth finally stopped clattering, drifting into a more peaceful state of slumber.

_He was still sleeping. To say I was shocked would be the biggest understatement of the century. There he was, in all his naked glory, sleeping like an angel without a care in the world. He had me in his arms, and I've never felt so happy in my entire life. I willed the tears to stop. I didn't want to miss a moment of this. I wanted to burn the image in my head._

_I’ve loved him for almost three years now, maybe even longer. I can’t exactly remember when it all began. One day I woke up and it all just made sense. My feelings may be unrequited, but it’s moments like these that make me think, perhaps it's enough. This is enough._

Never in his life did Neji feel like he was an asshole. Until now. He closed the book in remorse, feeling the tension in his pants gradually withdraw at the mortification of what he had just done.

He overstepped a line when he opened Tenten's journal, but he was so far gone he hadn’t realized just how far a line he had crossed. She loved him. No. She was _in_ love with him. And here he was invading her most intimate thoughts like they meant nothing. How could he do this? Why did he even allow himself to do this?

"Neji?"

Pearl eyes met amber ones. Each mirrored a silent shock.

Neji watched in mortification as Tenten's gaze shifted onto the brown leather book he had on his lap. He didn't dare to move. He didn't even dare to breathe.

"Just what…?" Tenten's voice came out barely above a whisper. Her chest heaved as she continued to stare at her journal sitting comfortably on Neji's lap. She was breathless. She felt as if she had just finished Gai's one thousand laps around Konoha challenge. Twice.

For once, Neji was truly and utterly speechless.


	2. Chapter 2

Neji watched in silent mortification as Tenten stood speechless before him. The expression on her face shifted so quickly he couldn’t tell anymore what exactly it was she was feeling. He knew he had to say something, anything! An apology would be a good start. But he couldn’t bring himself to make a sound. The tension in the room was so thick he feared one last nudge could trigger it all together.

He watched as Tenten’s face slowly relaxed, her demeanor suddenly void of any emotion. She let out a defeated sigh as she moved to sit towards the ledge by her window pane.

She was positioned right across her bed, directly in front of the space he occupied. He fisted his hands as blank brown eyes met his own. She was detaching herself from the situation. She always did whenever she felt overwhelmed. He would know. He was the one who taught her how.

“Did you read it?” Came her even tone.

Neji could only nod.

“Which parts?”

He couldn’t look her in the eye.

It was her turn to nod. His silence was enough of an answer. “So you read all of it.”

He nodded once again. He’s never felt so pathetic in his life since that moment he showed off his curse mark during the Chuunin exams.

“Well, there’s nothing else to say really.” Tenten shrugged in nonchalance. “Not exactly how I envision my confession, but hey. Maybe it’s better this way.”

Neji finally mustered up the courage to glance back at his longtime teammate. “No, it’s not. I apologize.” His gaze dropped back to the floor, unable to handle the eye contact. “I… I can’t even begin to explain just how…” He let out a frustrated sigh. He couldn’t get his words out right. After all, what could he possibly say? There was absolutely nothing he could do that would make things better. “Just how-”

“It’s fine, Neji.” Tenten raised a hand to stop him from sputtering even further. “Don’t get me wrong, I feel an exceedingly strong urge to stab you in every single one of your chakra points.” She paused, watching his eyes scrunch closed as if in pain. “But there’s no point to any of that really.”

She let out a battle-weary sigh. “I was getting tired of hiding it anyway.”

“I’m sorry.”

Tenten kept her gaze on the Hyuga prodigy. She watched as he tried his best to look small, putting as much effort into trying to take up as little space as possible. She almost wanted to laugh. He was approximately six feet long, and nearly an entire head taller than she was.

She sighed again. “I know.”

“How can I make it right?”

Tenten felt a twinge of affection at the desperate way he looked at her from where he sat. Neji was never one for apologies; but when he did, he did so with utmost sincerity that it made it very difficult for her to stay mad at him. “It’s fine, really. We can just acknowledge that this happened, and then move on.”

Neji’s lips open and close repeatedly in frantic contemplation, still unable to find his words. Tenten knew that if it hadn’t been for the situation, she would have laughed her ass off. It was incredibly rare to see him so speechless.

“I’m not looking for an answer from you, Neji.” She assured, shaking her head for emphasis. “If it makes you more comfortable, we can just forget this ever happened.”

“No!” He heard his voice break, sounding several pitches higher than his original tone. He silently cursed his luck. Could he embarrass himself even more?

Tenten sighed as she stared at the ceiling. They didn’t fight often, but when they did, he was always the one insisting that they talk about things. She was more the repressing type. She discovered that if she buried everything underneath long enough, the pretense eventually became reality.

“I don’t want to pretend that none of this happened.” Neji added.

Tenten folded her arms on her chest, eying him wearily. “Okay, then. Talk.”

“Just… Just give me a minute to think.” He ran a hand through his face, staring intently on the floor, deep in thought. “This is all very new to me.”

Tenten felt another pang of affection in her chest. She knew he had never been good with words, but seeing him try so hard made her appreciate him even more. He was always used to being alone, and the fact that he was a genius didn’t help either. He would grasp things much faster than anyone, finding it difficult to understand why others couldn’t. To him everything was just so simple. It was hard for him to explain things he readily comprehended. But when it came to relationships, he was the most clueless of them all.

She chose to stay silent, giving him time to ruminate. She could almost hear all the thoughts running through his head.

“I never once thought that you…” He began, his eyes finally meeting hers. “…To me.”

She said nothing, sensing he had more to say.

“I never realized.” His gaze dropped once again. “I’m sorry.”

Tenten growled in frustration. “Don’t.”

She could handle a rejection. She was prepared for it the moment she realized she had fallen in love with him. But an _apology_? She’s never felt so ashamed. Disbelief, anger, disgust, indifference – she would take any of them. Just not his pity.

Neji glanced back at Tenten, unsure of why she looked so aggravated. “But I really am.” He whispered.

“God!” Standing up abruptly, Tenten turned her back to him, folding her arms on her chest with a huff of annoyance. “Can we just drop this, Neji?”

“Did I say something wrong?” His voice was tentative and quiet, as if dealing with a skittish animal.

Tenten closed her eyes, leaning her head back in exasperation. Did she have to spell this out for him too? “It’s fine.” She heard him click his tongue.

“Stop saying that. Clearly I said something that upset you.”

She turned around, hands up in defeat. “I said it’s fine, didn’t I? So end of discussion.”

He was looking up at her with a puzzled expression, utterly oblivious. “I hate it when you do this.”

“Do what?”

“Act like you’re okay when clearly you’re not!”

“Oh? And you’re such an expert about how I feel?”

He was silent for a moment before he let out a worn-out sigh. “I’m trying Ten, okay?”

His last line made her reel her anger in a bit. The way he was looking at her made her stomach flip and her heart skip a beat. She wanted to curse at him for the injustice of it all. She sat back down slowly on the ledge, deciding whether she would bother to explain or not. She dropped her head back against the window with a thud, eyes scanning the plain white expanse of her ceiling.

Neji could tell she was considering things. He didn’t understand why she always refused to talk about things. She was so much better with words than he was. She could make him realize things he never once thought to consider. She never failed to show him a different perspective in almost everything. He labelled things as either black or white, until she showed him all the other shades of gray in between.

“Your apology is humiliating.” She finally began, tilting her head back down to look at him. He was staring at her like she’d grown another head, clueless yet again. “Did you coerce me into feeling anything towards you?”

Neji could only shake his head.

“Did you trick me into harboring affections for you?”

He shook his head once more.

“Did you demand me to fall in love with you?”

He stayed silent, staring at the brown orbs that glared into his own riddled with fire. The way he felt when he read those words were nothing in comparison to what he was feeling now, hearing her admit them out loud.

“Then don’t apologize as if it’s your fault.” She folded her arms on her chest, watching the Hyuga prodigy stare down at his hands. Her journal was still on his lap.

“I just…” He began. “I just don’t know what to say.”

“That’s why I said we don’t need to-”

“But I don’t want to _not_ talk.”

Tenten exhaled slowly. They were going around in circles over and over again.

“I just don’t quite understand how I feel about this.” Neji raised his head to glance back at her in desperation. “I’ve never felt like this before.”

He looked down on his chest, an expression of confusion clear on his features. “It’s like my heart’s forgotten how to keep a steady rhythm. It’s never done this. Even when I fight, even when I feel like I’m close to dying… It’s not like this. It’s different and I don’t know how to explain it.”

Tenten held her breath, waiting for him to finish the rest of his thought.

“It’s erratic and all over the place. It randomly misses a beat, then constricts in ways that make me feel like I’m suffocating.” He leaned his elbow on his thigh, cradling his face in one hand with his eyes closed. “It doesn’t make sense.”

Tenten shifted her glance to the floor, feeling her heart beating frantically against her chest. What the hell was he saying?

After what seemed like hours of silence, Neji finally opened his eyes, locking onto brown ones that never seemed to have left his face. “What do you think it all means?”

Tenten didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or scream. If he was messing with her, she would never let him live it down. But she knew him all too well to know that this was him at his rawest. She wanted to slap him. Hate him. Curse at him endlessly. Because in those few minutes, with just a couple of choice words, he was able to ignite a small flame of hope she was sure she’d long extinguished.

Tenten pursed her lips, trying to hold her tongue. Would she allow herself to try? Would she really dare? Hadn’t she suffered enough embarrassment for one day? Was she that much of a glutton for punishment?

“Ten?”

Realizing she’d been quiet the whole time, she shook her head. “I don’t know.” Her voice came out hoarse and barely above a whisper when she finally answered. She cleared her throat.

He could tell there was something she wanted to say to him, but he wasn’t sure if he should push or just wait. She looked like she was in a battle with her own thoughts. He watched as she finally closed her eyes, releasing a sigh of what seemed like resignation.

She dropped her head back against the window once again, keeping her eyes on the ceiling. If she was going to do this, she didn’t want to look him in the eyes. “I get what you mean.”

Neji stared at her slumped figure by the window pane, watching the muscles of her throat bob as she swallowed.

“It’s like…” She paused to release a shuddering breath. “It’s like there’s a permanent weight on your chest and your heart’s trying to get it off; frantically trying to figure out a pace or a specific force that would make it go away.”

It was Neji’s turn to hold his breath.

“It’s like running a thousand laps around Konoha when you haven’t even left your chair. It’s like waking up in your own bed only to step on a landmine. It’s like you’re drowning but your feet is on solid ground.” She began to chuckle to herself. Neji was right. It didn’t make any sense.

She finally mustered up the courage to look back at him. “That’s how it feels like whenever I look at you.”

Neji felt his lips part at the way she stared at him. There was trust there, an unbridled loyalty, and a seemingly endless amount of affection. How could he not have known all this time, when one look from her said it all?

They stayed in silence. Only this time, it wasn’t suffocating anymore.

“I don’t… I’ve never fallen in love before.” Neji began uncertain, running a hand through the top of his head, smoothing his hair. “I don’t know how it’s supposed to feel, and what I’m supposed to think.”

Tenten nodded in understanding. “It’s fine.”

This time, he knew she meant it.

“I don’t know if I’m in love with you.” He finally admitted. He watched as a small smile graced her lips.

“Okay.”

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “O-kay?”

“It’s enough.” She added. “Just the fact that you’re willing to consider it and think it over. That’s enough for me.”

He felt a sudden overwhelming urge to hug her, when the door to her room suddenly burst open.

“Hey guys! I figured I’d just barge in since I was late enough. The debriefing at the Hokage’s office took longer than expected!”

Lee flopped himself down the bed in exhaustion before propping himself up on one elbow, eyeing the two people in the room, oblivious to the tension.

“So, have you guys started planning for Gai-sensei’s surprise party yet?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of chapter two.
> 
> Final chapter coming by the end of the month or early next month at the latest.  
> Thank you for reading. Constructive criticism is highly appreciated :)


	3. Chapter 3

Neji sighed as sat down by the corner table to take a break from the crowd. Their surprise party had been a success and Gai-sensei was milking every moment of it. He watched as the green-clad spandex man-child challenged his eternal rival to a drinking contest, much to Kakashi's exasperation. He took note of Lee, making sure he wasn't stupid enough to try and down a drop of liquor. Neji was not in the mood to babysit.

"Honestly, I have no idea why he gets that way with you!"

Neji turned his gaze towards the loud booming voice that stood out even in the crowd of people. The Inuzuka heir was by the bar, propping an elbow against the counter top as he grinned at scene before him.

"He's never like that with people who aren't family! Only with you, Tenten."

Neji eyed the large white dog who seemed incapable of holding in its excitement. It twirled around in place wagging its long fluffy tail, barking at the woman currently fawning all over it.

"He's probably just used to me."

"Oh come on, Tenten. He doesn't act that way with Hinata or myself."

Neji glanced at the Aburame heir who was sitting on a bar stool looking comfortable with a drink in his hand. He was looking down at the weapons mistress, watching her struggle with the canine's weight with both its paws on her shoulders.

Neji heard Kiba order his dog to get off but the animal turned its head away, barking conceitedly in refusal. He watched them push against each other, before the Inuzuka heir finally gave up.

"See? He doesn't even listen to me!"

In the chaos of it all, he saw Tenten eventually collapse from the weight of the struggle. She was laughing despite falling rather ungracefully on the floor. Neji was surprised to see Aburame get off his chair, offering a hand towards her, while Inuzuka took her by the elbow to help her up. He blinked at the sudden heaviness that was on his chest.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Neji heard her say in between giggles.

"Hey Tenten!"

Neji narrowed his eyes at the ear-splitting voice that cut through the entire room.

"Oh hey! Glad you could make-"

Neji's jaw dropped at the offhanded way Uzumaki Naruto enveloped her in a tight hug. He watched the kyuubi jinchuuriki haul her up, spinning her around playfully in the air.

"What are you eight?"

This time, it was the Nara genius who stepped in to pull Tenten out the hug. Neji saw her send him a silent look of thanks.

"Oh come on! It's all in good fun!"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at the energetic blonde. Just looking at him was exhausting. "So you'd do that to just anyone?" 

Naruto scoffed at the challenge. "Hell yeah!"

"Can I pick the next one then?"

Neji watched Tenten place an arm around the younger man, whispering something in his ear that made his face turn into an interesting shade of red.

"W-What!?"

Neji watched the rest of the men grin, obviously hearing what Tenten had whispered in the blonde man's ear.

"Well, you did say you'd do it with _anyone_." Kiba teased.

"You're a man of your word, are you not?" Shino added.

"This is going to be fun." Shikamaru chuckled, raising his glass of whiskey in approval.

With a huff, Neji watched Naruto stalk off, losing sight of him in the crowd of people. Turning his attention back to the bar, he watched the Nara prodigy lean against the counter, body facing towards the only woman in their small group. It was impossible to hear him with noise of the party, but Neji could see his lips move.

"It's the first time I've seen you with your hair down."

Neji watched Tenten run a hand through her curled locks. She had her back to him now so he couldn't tell what she saying. He was itching to use his Byakugan, but he would have looked entirely out of place and suspicious sitting alone in a hidden corner with his blood limit activated. He felt a growing aggravation at the scene before him. Aburame, Inuzuka, and Nara looked like a pack of hungry wolves surrounding Tenten by the bar. Should he intervene? Would it seem strange?

Neji blinked. Why was he overanalyzing the entire situation? Why in the hell would it be strange? He shook his head and stood up with every intention of heading towards the bar, when an arm snaked around his shoulder keeping him in place.

"I found one more player!"

Neji closed his eyes in annoyance at the familiar tone. "Gai-sensei, just what is this about?" He felt the older man drag him towards the opposite side of the bar.

"We're playing cards!"

Neji sighed as he neared a round table full of familiar faces.

"Hey! No Hyugas allowed!"

"You can't bring in Neji! That's cheating."

"If he's playing, then I'm _not_ joining."

Gai raised his hands up to calm the dissent. "Relax, he won't use his Byakugan!"

"That's not the issue Gai." Genma began as he flitted his senbon from one side of his mouth to another. "Dude has a photographic memory. It's impossible to win a game of cards against him."

"That's right!" Anko downed the rest of her drink, slamming it against the table for emphasis. "Little punk robbed me of a thousand grand one evening!"

Neji kept a straight face at the accusatory look the special jounin sent him. "If I remember correctly, it was you who challenged me, Anko-san."

"Regardless! He's out!"

It was Tsunade who made the final call, much to Neji's relief. He really wasn't in the mood to be surrounded by a bunch of drunk gamblers who obviously had no talent in the game.

Raising a hand to acknowledge Gai-sensei's apology, Neji turned around to head back to the bar. It seemed to have gotten even more crowded as the night went on. When he finally reached the counter, he was greeted by Aburame who raised a glass in his direction. Neji sent him a nod in reply. But when he realized Tenten was nowhere to be found, he narrowed his eyes.

"Looking for Tenten?"

Neji realized then that it was Inuzuka who addressed him. He eyed him for a second before he allowed himself to nod.

"She's out back with Sasuke." Nara's lazy voice reached his ears this time.

Neji blinked. Perhaps he didn't hear that right. "With who?"

Shikamaru looked at him funny. He was sure the Hyuga prodigy heard him the first time. "Sasuke."

"Uchiha?" Neji added in confirmation.

All three boys were eyeing him strangely at this point.

Kiba snickered. "Do you know any other Sasuke?"

No, he most certainly did not.

* * *

Neji didn't know how to describe what he was seeing right this moment. There she was, standing at a dimly lit corner outside the bar with the Uchiha avenger, smoking a cigarette stick. He blinked. Since when did she smoke?

They were speaking in hushed tones; the hovering of their hands over their mouths made it difficult for him to read their lips. He saw her laugh at something the Uchiha said, the latter smirking in victory. He blinked again. Since when were they on speaking terms? Last time he checked, the sharingan user was an ANBU squad captain, just like he was. The chances of the two of them teaming up for a mission was next to zero. So how on earth did this strange amiable relationship between them even come about?

Neji saw Tenten's expression drop, before she brought her gaze straight towards his direction. He cursed. He'd been spotted.

"What on earth are you doing over there, Neji?"

Neji let out a long sigh before stepping of out the shadows, nodding his head casually towards her. "Gai-sensei asked me to look for you. Something about a card game and needing more players."

"And you couldn't play?"

Neji shifted his gaze towards his fellow captain, ignoring the way the younger man glared at him as he took a long drag from his cigarette.

"No. They say I'm too good it isn't fair." He narrowed his eyes at the scoff he got as a reply.

"Is that so?" Came Sasuke's challenging tone.

Neji eyed him unfazed, daring him to say another word.

"Sasuke."

Neji watched both of them exchange a silent but meaningful look. It was yet another thing that unnerved him. Since when were they close enough to understand each other without words? He watched the younger man roll his eyes before crushing the tip of his cigarette on top of the metal bin, chucking it into the trash offhandedly. "Fine. Friday then?" Came his hopeful tone. Tenten responded with a nod and an affirmative hum.

The sharingan user began to walk away, but not before staring him down wordlessly. Whatever the hell that was about, Neji wasn't in the mood to figure out.

Tenten tilted her head towards the establishment. "Come on, Gai-sensei's probably looking for us by now."

Neji bit down the questions he was itching to ask as he followed her back to the bar.

* * *

Tenten eyed the remaining set of drunken ninjas sprawled all over the place. It was around three in the morning now and they've almost gotten everyone home. She was glad that Lee had been extra careful about alcohol the entire time. He was a hundred percent sober by the end of the party.

"Oh, you're still here…"

Tenten turned around to see a very wobbly, very drunk Hayate who had one arm slung over Genma. She laughed at the exasperated expression on the latter's face. "You have your work cut out for you, Shiranui-san."

"Just Genma is fine." He sighed. "Told you that a _thousand_ times."

Tenten scratched the back of her head, smiling sheepishly. "Ah, but the age gap is something I just can't ignore."

Genma let out a long breath, shifting his now passed out partner over his shoulder. "You wound me, little lady."

"And yet you refer to me as _little_ lady. Doesn't that prove the point?" She laughed in response.

"Well I-"

"Do you need some help getting home, Shiranui-san?"

Genma eyed the Hyuga prodigy who seemed to have come out of nowhere. He rolled the senbon in his mouth to hide his amusement. "I don't. Hayate does though. If you would be so kind to escort him, I'd be free to walk Tenten back home." He could tell his response caught the Hyuga off guard. He decided to take the teasing further by winking at the surprised kunoichi standing right beside him.

"Hayate-san is looking quite cozy on your shoulder. I will see to it that Tenten gets back safe."

Genma was unable to hide the laughter that spilled from his mouth. "Is that so?"

Tenten rolled her eyes at the unnecessary discussion. "I'm more than capable of getting home by myself, thank you." With that she stalked off to check on the remaining bodies groaning on the floor.

"You best make up your mind."

Neji glanced at the retreating back of one of the Hokage's elite bodyguards.

"Before someone else snatches her up."

He glared at the mocking look Genma threw over his shoulder. She was nearly half his age for crying out loud. "Pedophile." He called out, hiding the satisfaction he felt as the older man sputtered at his accusation. Neji walked away, not bothering to wait for a reply.

* * *

Tenten glanced at Neji from the corner of her eye. It's been a while since he's walked her home. It wasn't like she needed him to, or that he usually offered. It was just something Gai-sensei used to insist on back when they were still genin. He would make Lee and Neji take turns, claiming that a true man should know how to treat a woman right regardless of her ability. She scoffed. As if she ever let them do it. They would part ways the moment they reached an acceptable distance away from their sensei. Lee had been difficult about it at first, but when she threatened to shred his beloved spandex, he eventually caved.

"So what's happening on Friday?"

Tenten blinked. "Huh?"

"Uchiha said something about Friday."

Tenten narrowed her eyes, trying to recall what he was referring to. "Ah. He was talking about sparring."

Neji failed to hide the surprise on his face. "You _train_ with him?"

Tenten shrugged, eying him strangely. "Yeah?"

"Since when?"

"Since he asked me."

"Since when were you and the Uchiha friends?"

Tenten's lips parted at the sudden barrage of questions. "Acquaintances would be a more appropriate term, I think."

"You seemed pretty close to me."

Tenten blinked, amusement dancing in her eyes at the unexpected statement. "We were paired on a mission once."

Neji scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. The Uchiha had immediately been station under ANBU upon his return to the village, mainly to keep him under surveillance, as well as to utilize his skills for assassination missions. An outsider shouldn't have been able to work with him.

"I'm not ANBU, so how was it possible?" She spoke his thoughts out loud. "It was a special case. Naturally, I can't reveal the details, but it was a covert operation that needed our…" She paused to think of the right word to describe it. "Aesthetics."

Neji narrowed his eyes. The way she said it only meant one thing – an undercover mission. He was itching to ask more, but he, of all people, was aware of how strict nondisclosure agreements were when it came to those types of missions.

"And Nara?"

Tenten tilted her head to the side, confused by the sudden shift in the dialog. "Huh?"

"Were you two paired on a mission as well?"

Tenten folded her arms across her chest, unsure of where the conversation was heading. "Why are you asking so many questions?" She watched him shift his weight on one foot, eyes darting away from her.

"He just seemed really familiar with you. So did Inuzuka, Aburame and Naruto."

Tenten didn't even bother to hide her confusion. "I guess? With you being in ANBU, Lee becoming a special jounin, and myself being promoted as well, I was free to take on any job and join any squad." She shrugged. "It wasn't like Team Gai was still together."

The matter-of-fact way she stated things made Neji feel ridiculous. Of course she would have been paired with other ninjas! Just because she was a jounin didn't mean she could only go on solo missions. But for some reason, he only ever envisioned her out with either Lee or Gai. Even the times they only ever trained with each other were long gone. This new version of Tenten was someone who seemed to get along with dogs, had a lot of friends, who enjoyed smoking, and could hold her liquor well.

"Do you have any more questions? Because if you do, I think I might have to recommend that you join Ibiki's squad." She teased.

"I just never realized you had so many male friends."

Tenten raised a brow at the quiet tone of his voice. "I have just as many, if not more, female friends."

"Yes, but they don't flirt with you." He added begrudgingly.

Tenten stopped in her tracks, eying him as if he had suddenly gone bald. "You think they _flirt_ with me?"

Neji couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Come on, Ten. Anyone else could see that they were."

Tenten scoffed at the way he was avoiding her gaze. "For what it's worth, Ino once asked me to have sex with her and Sai."

" _Excuse me_?"

The expression on his face made her laugh out loud. "She said I was the only one they had in common on their list of people they'd like to have a threesome with." She shrugged.

"Did you accept?"

She raised a brow at the poorly veiled desperation in his voice. "No! Of course not."

Neji nodded, silently pleased to hear she had rejected the offer. His squad would be having a joint operation with the scrawny man's ANBU team in a few weeks. He narrowed his eyes, contemplating ways on how to make the former Root member suffer.

"Okay." Tenten sighed, running a hand through her face in exasperation. "In all seriousness, what is this really about, Neji?"

"What do you mean?"

"That's my line! You've been shooting off one question after another." She paused to scan him suspiciously. "What's gotten into you tonight?"

"I…" He paused, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know." He sighed in exhaustion. "I've been strangely annoyed this entire evening."

Tenten laughed. She knew he never liked crowds. "Why?"

"Because." He replied vaguely, shrugging to avoid having to answer.

"Because?" She stood her ground, crossing her arms on her chest.

Her gesture made him halt. He knew there was no winning with her when she got this way. She could be quite obstinate if she wanted to. He let out a sigh of resignation. "People wouldn't stop talking to you."

"People wouldn't stop talking to me." She imitated in a voice full of incredulity.

"Inuzuka insinuating you and his dog were close. Aburame getting off his chair to help you up. Naruto pulling you in a tight hug. Nara talking about your hair. Uchiha asking you out to train. Shiranui-san ordering you to call him by his first name." Neji huffed, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

Tenten felt her lips part at his candid confession. "Wait. Are you…"

"What?"

Tenten shook her head. It couldn't be. She watched him stalk towards her, stopping just an arm's reach away.

"Am I what?"

"Are you jealous?"

Neji blinked. He folded his arms across his chest, humming to himself as the idea just hit him. So _that's_ what that was. The strange weight on his chest, the aggravating need to get them all out of his sight and away from her, the overwhelming desire to drag her to one corner of the bar and tell her to stay put – that was jealousy.

"Neji?" She called out when he gave no reply.

"I'm jealous." He said in a manner that seemed to surprise him more than her.

Tenten felt a blush grow from the base of her neck, all the way up to her forehead. Just what the hell was he trying to say?

"I'm jealous." He reiterated. This time with conviction.

Tenten cleared her throat, scratching at the back of her ear to relieve some discomfort. "I heard the first time." She mumbled, unsure of what else to say.

Neji raised a hand towards her to prevent her from saying anything further. "Give me a minute."

The way his eyes focused on a random space unblinking told her he was trying to get this thoughts in order. He would only ever ask for a moment if there were too many things in his head, but he couldn't quite find the words to say them.

"I _think_ I'm not in love with you, but I'm _sure_ I'm jealous." He concluded.

Tenten rolled her eyes at the statement. "Gee, way to win a woman's heart, Neji." If she didn't know him as well as she did, his words would have definitely pissed her off.

"What do you think it means?"

Tenten closed her eyes to reel in the frustration. Why couldn't he just figure these things out on his own? It was hard enough that she had feelings for him, but to have him use her as a sounding board was just downright cruel. She sighed. She knew he wasn't doing it on purpose, but sometimes she wished he would just stop being so socially inept.

"It means you like me, but you aren't sure in what way exactly."

Neji blinked. How did she do that? How was she always capable of putting his feelings into words so easily?

"Neji…" Tenten sighed in exasperation. "Like I said, I'm not looking for an answer. I'm not rushing you either." She shrugged. "These things… We can't force them. Let's just live our lives and see where it goes."

"How do I figure out in what way do I like you?" He persisted.

Tenten let out a long breath. He clearly wasn't done with the topic. She waved a hand out randomly, dismissing the conversation. "There's no one way to go about it really." She watched him fold his arms across his chest in silent contemplation. She raised a brow at the concentrated expression on his face. What else was there to discuss?

"I think we should date."

Tenten blinked, not entirely sure she heard what he just said. "Sorry, did you say _date_?" She couldn't help but run a hand over her face when she saw him nod decisively. "Neji, do you even-"

"I know what dating means, Ten." He rolled his eyes. Did she think of him as someone so socially inadequate that he wouldn't even be aware of what the term meant? "I enjoy your company. You're the only person I can be myself with." He shrugged. "I feel safe with you." He paused to watch the expression on her face. Her eyes were wide and her lips were parted – looking at him in a way that made him want to do something. "I don't like it when other people monopolize your time." He took a lock of her hair in his fingers, sliding it down slowly, trailing the movement with his eyes. He frowned. "I don't like that they get to see you like this. I feel this… Strange compulsion to hide you away where no one can find you." He scoffed at the insanity of his claim. "Doesn't that sound–"

Soft lips were on his. A pair of hands were pulling on the back of his neck. Neji felt a bolt of electricity shoot through his entire body, starting with his lips, then all the way down to the tips of his toes. He felt her pull away, eyelids fluttering open as she stared at his mouth.

"I take no responsibility." She began, voice quiet but firm. She brought her eyes up to glare at his stunned ones. "You just never know when to shut up."

Neji couldn't bring himself to look away from the darkness of her gaze. This was yet another side of her he's never seen before. "Is that a yes?" He found himself asking; voice just above a whisper, but heavy with something he couldn't quite identify.

"If I say yes, does that mean you're my boyfriend now?" She clarified. The sudden intensity of his gaze made her want to do all kinds of things to him – things that would put everything she wrote in her journal to shame. She watched him nod, his gaze dropping down to her parted lips.

"I believe so."

As they moved in for another kiss, the sound of an explosion reverberated, shaking the ground they stood on.

Tenten turned her head towards the noise that was starting to sound like several protests. She kept her arms around Neji, not wanting to let go just yet. She watched him deactivate his Byakugan, dropping his head down to one side, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Tenten let out a long sigh, bringing her hands back down to her sides. "Don't tell me." She closed her eyes. "It's Lee, isn't it?"

"Hn."

It's been awhile since she heard that non-word reply from him. He only ever employed its use whenever he was uninterested, or pissed. And judging by the angry rolls of chakra pouring out of his body, she knew he was livid. "How bad is it?"

"About a full shot."

Tenten clicked her tongue. _Fuck._ That would take them until sunrise!

Pulling her hair up in a tight bun, Tenten began stomping her way back to the restaurant, sensing Neji right behind her. She was just about to get _laid_ damn it! Lee just had to be the biggest cock-blocker in the history of Konoha! She grit her teeth. She was going to kill him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of story!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's followed this from the very beginning. I'm so glad I finally finished it! I apologize for the late update. I've thought about writing a lemon, but based on the development of Neji and Tenten's relationship, it didn't feel right. So I decided to hold that thought, and leave the rest to your imaginations :p
> 
> Constructive criticisms and reviews are very much appreciated :) Thank you again and stay safe everyone ^^


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